Photoshop

Well one thing is clear I really need to get a better handle on photoshop. I am pretty good (well I think anyway) at colour correcting. But beyond that I am so lost and it really sucks because I think and so I have been told that i take some really good pictures. So just knowing photoshop would make my photo's that much better.

So last night I went to Chapters and picked up the Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers which is a pretty thick book. I don't often read instruction manuals or books, not because I hate reading I love to read, but because they are so boring...but in this case i will. Photoshop isn't really a program you can just try to play around with and figure out. Well I am sure you could but man that would take awhile and i am sure you would miss something.

So it looks like I have some heavy reading a head of me. So hopefully my pictures will look that much better. I guess only time will tell. And hey if I don't get through the book at least I will have a very interesting paperweight.

Christopher

My last ten days home

Well as most of you know I do a lot of traveling in my job mostly Vancouver Island in and around the Nanaimo area, and I am only home in Calgary for ten days at a time. Well my last ten days where rather busy. I was arranging interviews for the Tattoo documentary I am working on and trying to get some photo shoots in as well as meeting with Lori to get my logo done. So while I was home I had 4 photo shoots with some pretty awesome models. But right now I only want to talk about one of the shoots.

I was bored one day and texted my friend Jewels Sherren who is a Make Up Artist and told her i was bored and asked if she knew anyone who wanted to shoot. She told me she did and that she could arrange it in a few days. I told her that would be great and that I looked forward to working with her again (Jewels is awesome). So that day of the shoot roles around and I arrive at Jewels house and find Jewels, and  Jory Davie (Hair stylist) putting the finishing touches on our lovely model Sara Galloway.  Sara wanted to do a Suicide Girls kind of look to her, but not the trashy look the more moderate look and I think Jewels and Jory did a great job. Now it was my turn to make there vision a reality on camera. So Jory, Sara and myself load into my Escape and head downtown Calgary to shoot!

Now this was a very interesting shoot for me as I had never really done anything like this, most of the time the people I meet want to shoot in a park. And let me tell you I was very happy no to be shooting in a park this time around (we did end up there for a few shots but that was my idea, I wanted to use the stage in Princess Island Park). We ended up in an older part of downtown Calgary where the buildings are just a little run down. And the results where great for the look that Sara had. We ended up driving all over the place finding new places to shoot and shooting in places I had been too but never thought of taking people. So all in all it was an amazing shoot and I look forward to working with the girls again as we discussed a few shoot ideas for the next time I am home. Not to give to much away but it is going to be dark and a little twisted I love it!!

Well everyone hope you have a great evening and an awesome weekend. I am waiting for a model to show up and shoot here on the island so I am sure another blog post is coming shortly.



Christopher Renaud

Logo

Hello All

I would really like to thank Lori Hill from Green Eyed Monkey (@greeneyedmonkey and http://www.greeneyedmonkey.net) for the design of my logo. She has a breath of fresh air after a horrible attempt to get a logo done by another designer whom I paid but never delivered. I wont name names but you know who you are, and karma will find you. I found Lori a joy to work with and she really understood what I wanted from start to finish, she really listened to me and my ideas, and kept me informed during each phase of the design. She also designed my business cards (image of cards below) as well and I can't wait to receive them! I strongly recommend Lori to anyone who needs design work, so please check her out and make sure you tell her I sent you.

Christopher Renaud

Hello and Welcome

Hello everyone

I would like to say welcome to Christopher Renaud Media and I hope you enjoy what you read and see here. My name is well yes you have guessed it Christopher Renaud. I'm a 28 year old Photographer and Videographer from Ottawa Ontario, but I know make my home in Calgary Alberta, that is when I am home. I spend most of my time on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I first fell in love with media in High School when I joined the Sound and Light Club (AV Club really) I took my Co-op class at TV Cogeco. Then I went to College and took Police Foundations, I dropped out of that course after a semester and kinda went adrift. years later I found myself working as an extra on the film H2O and again fell in love with the media. I then found myself working as a Production Assistant in Ottawa and later an Assistant Unit Manager (for list of films I have worked on see here http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1944699/ ).
I have written and directed three short films as well. I now work as a contractor for Shaw Cable, it's not a media job but it gives me the ability to travel and do what I love, until I can do this full time again.

Well that is all for now please stay tuned for many more updates and blogs to come. A lot is happening in my world and I am sure you wont want to miss it.

Christopher Renaud